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I can't see it until Monday.
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I loved this movie.
Whereas Iron Man was a mostly-great movie with a decent/underwhelming climax, Incredible Hulk is a good movie with an incredible climax -- making it, overall, a great movie. It preserves the spirit and the heart of the Marvel characters in a very admirable way, and while it is a "loud, furious action movie" (in the best sense of the term), it is also underscored with scenes of tender emotion and lighthearted humor.
I am, as you may know, one of those rare persons who actually likes, even loves, Ang Lee's HULK. I find it a fascinating and finely-crafted experiment, a kind of arthouse superhero film, a Greek drama of a father-son struggle that can only lead to a horrendous, deus-ex-machina death. But I also recognize its limitations; the plot is complex and sometimes inscrutable for first or even third-time viewers, and is not true either to its comic-book or popluar TV-series origins. The action scenes are few and far between, and the Hulk-dog battle is so poorly-lit as to be unwatchable on some monitors unless you brighten the picture. For some critics of the movie, only the desert sequence is salvageable as anything approximating their conception of the Hulk, and I agree that these scenes are exhilerating and hit very close to the mark. For me, somehow, the rest of the film clicks -- I "get" it; it works beautifully on an intellectual and emotional level. But I recognize that not everyone can be expected to devote the loving attention to it that I have done, in trying to understand its bizarre twists and intricacies, its artful use of split-screen imagery, its Jungian underpinnings. For most people, it is an unintelligible trainwreck of a movie.
WARNIG: Some SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Incredible Hulk, by contrast, is a crowd-pleasing thrill ride! The first hour is a little slow as we establish what has happened to Bruce Banner (retconning the Lee version to introduce connections to a military super-soldier experiment) and get our first glimpses of the titular man-beast inside a shadowed factory in Brazil. By the time Banner has returned to the States, reunited with his impossible love interest Betty Ross, and hulked out in spectacular style against super-soldier Blonsky, the movie has got us by the lapels and refuses to let go for an instant. The filmmaking style of the picture is neither the cool, methodical precision of Ang Lee nor the hyper-mad flourish of Sam "Spider-Man" Raimi, but rather a kind of crystal-clear, everything-is-visible approach that suits the material passably well. No particular scene or shot in the main body of the movie stands out as especially dazzling or amazing, but somehow the movie turns out to be more than the sum of its parts. Each scene builds on the previous bit and sets up the slightly more interesting bit to follow. The climax -- and I cannot stress this enough -- is a mind-blowing clash of the titans the likes of which you have never seen. The subtext and underlying thematic elements, as in Iron Man, are wafer thin: two monstrous creations want to kill each other. End of story. But the eye-popping, brain-pummeling intensity with which this basic premise is presented is par none in the history of sci-fi/action cinema. It must be freaking seen to freaking be believed. At film's end, the final shots of the title character -- and in retrospect his handling throughout the story -- are so heart-warmingly, pulse-quickeningly true to the character as depicted in both Marvel comics and the beloved 70s series that I could not help but shed a tear. Super hero movies don't get any better than this.Comment
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OKAY *Pulls up Lee's little soapbox once again*(remember folks, this HAS to happen where there is a Hulk discussion around here!)
I went to Cleveland Ohio to see Iron Maiden on the "Somewhere back in time" show. (A show I waited 25 years to see, and I wasn't dissapointed!) Then I stroll in at 5 am to go to work, then get home at about 9, get up at 11:00 am to see the first showing. With Knickerbocker Hulk and my 2 Mego Hulk figures (3 3/4" and 7") in tow in my backpack I go to see the movie, with the thought ever buring in my head "If it sucks I'll go home sad and get some sleep." NOT THE CASE! I continued to see it all 5 showings on opening day and got tons of cool swag from the people at the theater, plus for the last showing I didn't even get charged the manager just let me and Ma in!
*WARNING SPOILERS FROM THIS POINT ON*
When he said my favorite words Hulk says "Leeeeeeaaaave meeeeee allloooooone."
I was left in shivers! I waited 30 years to hear that on the big screen!
The music, Bill's cameo in the first 10 minutes of the movie made me sigh a sigh of a 4 year old little boy.
Norton did Banner justice more than any other actor has thus far, (but I always said he would be perfect.)
I totally can't wait for the uncut version of the movie. I would be rather upset too if I was him. But nonetheless he was "Incredible" just like I thought he would be. He really captured the essence of Bruce Banner and the pain he has.
Roth was awesome, I love that guy, (the best thing about the POTA remake again IMHO)
Blonsky's obsession for the power was something else that had me totally at the edge of my seat. Plus Roth in the production of the film was VERY vocal about how he wanted him portrayed.
Hurt was a better "T-Bolt" than Sam Elliot was (and that's the best compliment I can give the man! I mean he gave me chills, I always liked T-bolt, he wasn't a chicken **** gutless coward like Talbot was he wasn't scared of the Hulk, he considered him a threat and his duty to bring him down. FOR GOD'S SAKE HE LOST A STAR OVER HIM! So Ross has more hatred for him than fear, that's something I have always respected about him and the character. Hurt played that to the hilt!
Liv Tyler is someone I can totally live without. I mean her best role was the Aerosmith video for "Crazy" and even SHE really knocked my Chucks off of my feet! She played Betty WITH BALLS! Something Jennifer Connely didn't do. I didn't really care much for Bety anyhow, I understand her impoortance to the Hulk and to the whole "Bigger picture" but still I would rather Hulk go on his endless rampages. But ya know, that's me!
The story had it all, the torment, the madness, the never-ending persuits, and the big showdown, just like the comics and the tv shows. I loved the Dexter's Lab reference too. (I wonder if that was on purpose?) The TV show references, and the Bruce Jones references. Loius really did a bang up job. Plus It pleased me to see Mr. Stark in the end as well. I mean in Superman Movies, did Batman ever pop up? Nope. Batman movies did Supes pop up? Nope. But in Hulk's movie Tony Stark struts right in to cap off the thrillride and tell us all that there's something bigger in the works.
So out of a possible 5 stars
Lee gives it a 4 1/2 Hulk in some daylight scenes still looked a bit fake, and BLONSKY DIDN'T EVEN HAVE NUBS FOR EARS FOR GOD'S SAKE! (Yeah Mego brethren I hear your cries over mine!)
So from the Hulk guy around here (Besides "Gamma Pro" and "Hulk") You got the skinny.
Sin City is still the best comic movie I have ever seen, but Hulk scrapes it's Hull, with Iron Man right behind it.
So sorry for the book, but ya'll knew this was coming outta me!
GO SEE THIS MOVIE!
Even my mother loved it and had this to say about it, "Now I really understand why you love him so much."
When your mother has that to say about it, then you know it's a "Slice of fried gold"!
LaterLast edited by The Sentry; Jun 15, '08, 4:23 PM.sigpic
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Slice of fried gold indeed. Well said, fellow Hulk-fan!!Comment
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I liked it. Not as good as IM but a very good film.
yep
it has loads of nod's to the classic 70's TV show
yep
There are so many potential spoilers to films nowadays. Someone told me about the cameo at the end.
These blockbusters must be seen sooner than later if you don't want to spoil every surprise.Comment
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It was good and I'm not a big Hulk fan. I did like Ironman better but I just ironman and I think even if that movie stunk I would have still liked seeing Ironman in a movie. Hulk on the other hand has not always been my favorite character. He's always seemed more like a Frankenstein than a hero to me. This movie showed more of the hero than than the monster. It was good!
I couldn't even watch the first hulk movie. I guess v99 your right it's too deep for most and I usually can get into a complex movie, that one I just couldn't.Comment
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... The Original Knight ..., Often Imitated, However Never Duplicated. The 1st Knight in Customs.
always trading for Hot Toys Figures .
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Soild numbers for Hulk, but nowhere near Iron Man's...
Weekend Box Office Results for June 1315, 2008sigpicComment
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I have yet to see the movie so I'm going to take your word on Hurt being better than Elliott. However, I will say that it had to be a matter of script or director's vision. No way, all things being equal, that Hurt could play a military man better than Elliott. (I could tell by your tone, though, that you meant this as a compliment to Hurt, rather than a pan of Elliott.)Comment
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